Renewed Vision: Rooted In Truth

A Joint Statement from the Office of the Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish 
and the Office of the Head of School of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

We are very pleased to announce that Mrs. Shannon Fried will transition into the newly created administrative position of Dean of Student Life and Formation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. Shannon assumed her new duties on July 1, 2022, and has worked closely with our Head of School, Mrs. Joan Kathmann, and our Dean of Academics, Ms. Theresa Hebert, to nurture the mission and ministry of Catholic education at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School (SEAS).

SEAS aids parents in the formation and education of their children based on the principle of subsidiarity. It does so by providing an atmosphere that maintains and fosters the Christian spiritual, intellectual, moral, and physical formation that the students receive at home. We believe that it is the responsibility of the family and the school, through mutual reinforcement, to set and maintain high standards of moral conduct for all students. These morals, founded in the Gospel principles, are the basis for developing a life of virtue and holiness and the path to live in God's will. It is through the balanced integration of our Roman Catholic faith with our experiences of learning, life, and service that we can form SEAS students into Christian role models and leaders in both the Church and the world. 

As the Dean of Student Life and Formation, Shannon will provide leadership and direction to all programs impacting student life at SEAS: spiritual formation and religious education, human formation, apostolic formation, parent catechesis and formation, discipline, athletic programs, safety and security, co-curricular clubs and activities, and nurturing of the relationship between the Church parish and the school. Shannon will help each student develop a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer and devotionals, the celebration of the Sacraments, and the development of a true Catholic ethos and culture within the SEAS community. 

Shannon’s work will also focus on the psychological, social, and physiological development of our students. Shannon will be tasked in the development of character formation by assisting students to grow in virtue, self-confidence, and leadership skills while building personal convictions based in truth. This includes helping students develop social etiquette, an appreciation for the arts, and physical fitness, resulting in a healthy mind and a healthy body. 

As our new Dean of Student Life and Formation, Shannon will also enable our students to go into society to serve as Christian leaders and apostles, actively responding to the needs of the Church and humanity, creating a civilization of justice and love. Through serving others and a vibrant apostolic life, each student discovers Christ, becomes more like Christ, and experiences His love more profoundly. By serving others in various activities, the students are brought into contact with the realities of life, thus awakening in them a sense of responsibility that will grow throughout their lives.

Since SEAS is one of the fundamental ministries of our parish, Shannon will work closely with Shannon Haddad, the Director of Religious Education of Divine Mercy Parish, to ensure that sacramental preparation for first Reconciliation and first Eucharist are adequately integrated into the wider life of our parish community. In this way, the faith and sacramental life of our students and their families will be seamlessly integrated into Divine Mercy Parish, for we are together a single parish family.

As Shannon notes: “Both education and youth ministry have been passions of mine for most of my adult life. I am both overjoyed and humbled by the opportunity presented through our strategic plan which will allow me to infuse my passions into the very fabric of our school. Educational and spiritual formation should not be mutually exclusive. As a ministry of Divine Mercy Parish, we at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School aim to instill a greater sense of unity between parish and school life. I am excited to bring a more Christ-centered approach to all aspects of the formation experience of students entrusted to our care at SEAS.” 

Please join us in praying for Shannon as she takes on this new leadership role within our school community. Let us hold each other in prayer in this time of transition and new beginnings. 


Fr. Robert T. Cooper, Pastor
Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School

Mrs. Joan Kathmann, Head of School
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School